Berman came out swinging Thursday, responding to criticism from other television executives who earlier this week accused Fox of stealing the concepts of such reality shows as NBC's boxing series, The Contender, and ABC's Wife Swap, and rushing them to the air.

"We believe our competitors are generating this controversy because we're closer to our rivals (in the ratings) than ever before," Berman said. "Shows with similar themes are being pitched to us constantly. Ideas must be fluid, and no one can hold claim to an entire genre.

"Allegations of theft and extortion are outrageous and unacceptable, and I will not perpetuate this myth."

Yes, she said, it is true that Mark Burnett pitched a boxing series to her.

"We were very aggressive in our bid, but he took it to NBC," she said. "The bottom line is this: There were five other boxing shows (in development). We bought one of them (from the production company Endemol). There were three Amy Fisher movies and two (Princess) Diana movies. This is how television works. It's a competitive business. There's nothing new about it."

As to the charge that Fox appears to be rushing its shows to the air to pre-empt the competition, Berman pointed out that in the case of Wife Swap, ABC announced the show last November to air in spring or summer. Fox decided to develop a similar show in the first quarter of this year, "never thinking it would be ready for spring. Why ABC chose not to air its show until fall, I don't know. It was never our original intent (to air Fox's version, Trading Spouses) before ABC aired theirs. We just took advantage of an opportunity in the marketplace."

Scripts are copyrighted but ideas are not, Berman said. Besides, sometimes similar-themed shows that come on later can turn out to be successful. Fox's personal-makeover series The Swan is an example, coming on the heels of ABC's Extreme Makeover and MTV's I Want a Famous Face. (The Swan returns to the lineup on Oct. 25.)

"When you can get an advantage by being first (on the air), that's terrific; you want to be first," said Berman. "But sometimes it's not the only thing that matters."

In other Fox news:

·American Idol will increase its audition age limit from 25 to 28, making the new age range 16-28. Why? "We see in the audition lines so many people with an extraordinary amount of talent" who were not able to be on the show and who have the potential of a pop music career, Berman said.

Auditions for the January addition of Idol begin in Cleveland on Aug. 4. Closest audition venue to Houston: New Orleans (Aug. 31).

·Houston Rocket Yao Ming will be a guest voice in a post-Super Bowl edition of The Simpsons (Feb. 6).

·The Casino and The Jury will not be renewed.

·Quintuplets, starring Andy Richter, has been given a 22-episode commitment.